Sardinia declares state of emergency following deadly cyclone
A powerful cyclone that hit the Italian island of Sardinia yesterday has left at least 16 people dead and a trail of destruction in its wake.
More than 1,650 people have been evacuated from their homes due to severe flooding, the worst of which is in the north east, in the Olbia, Oristano and Nuoro regions.
Prime minister Enrico Letta declared a state of emergency and called Cyclone Cleopatra a "national tragedy".
A number of people are still missing after rivers burst their banks, cars were swept away and bridges collapsed when more than 17 inches of rain fell in 90 minutes overnight into Tuesday morning, leaving some areas more than 10-feet deep in water.
The UK Foreign Office said many roads in the north are blocked and there are long delays due to flooding and subsidence on the main route linking the north and south of the island, the SS131.
The airports at Oblia and Cagliari are open, but the authorities warned there may be some flight cancellations and delays.
The Italian Civil Protection Agency, which is monitoring the situation, said rail services on the routes from Olbia – Chilivani and Macon – San Gavino were disrupted.
The BBC Weather Centre said the unstable conditions were expected to sweep across Italy and further east, bringing further downpours and the threat of flooding, particularly in Venice, where last year 70% of the city was flooded.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025